Barritt’s Books says so long to Strawbridge store with sale

Donna Dehn, who lives near Lynnhaven Mall, and Jackie Tucker of Ocean Lakes examine the shelves at the Barritt’s Books location at Strawbridge Marketplace, which will close on Aug. 31 following a sale. The local, family-run chain’s other locations are staying put. [John-Henry Doucette/The Princess Anne Independent News]

STRAWBRIDGE — In a blow to book lovers in the southern reaches of the Beach, the Barritt’s Books location at Strawbridge Marketplace will close its doors on Aug. 31 after 18 years, initially as part of the discount Book Rack chain and later under the Barritt family’s own name.

The other family-run Barritt’s Books locations — at Great Neck Square and at Independence — are not going anwhere, and longtime employees Chris Natzet and Bob Barnes are staying on, too, shifting to the remaining spots.

“We just can’t do it here anymore,” said Barnes, a Pine Ridge resident, during a recent visit to the shop. “We’ll shut the door, but we want to make sure people still know where we’re going to be.”

Additonally, the Strawbridge location will hold a significant sale from Aug. 23-31 to reduce the amount of stock moved elsewhere.

Some elements of the sale seemed to be in place during a recent visit to the shop, when a customer inquired about the used CD collection.

“Do you have any classical?” asked Bill Duke, a geologist who lives in Hunt Club Forrest.

“I do,” he said. “You can help yourself. They’re 25 cents each.”

“Oh, my gosh,” said. “I should just take them all.”

“Somebody did that,” Barnes said, pointing out the depleted supply on a shelf.

Donna Dehn said Barritt’s Books is her favorite place to trade used books.

“Oh, I’m sad,” she said, learning of the closure at the end of the month.

However, she said she would probably visit their other locations.

Credit for regular customers is good at the remaining locations, though Barnes said credit cannot be used for a closing sale at the Strawbridge location.

If you want music from here, by the way, you should hurry.

“Which stack is yours?” Barnes asked when Duke was ready to pay for his CDs.